What Is Real
by lord of the land of fire
Summary: This one shot was based on Rosario Vampire Season II chapter 34. What is real is not always obvious.


**Author's Note: **This one shot was based on Rosario Vampire Season II chapter 34

XXX

Tsukune was out behind the school looking at the blood red sky that was 'normal' here. They'd been back from China for a couple weeks now. Their frightening experiences with Moka's sister Akuha and the Miu family were safely in the past (for now). They were once more at Youkai dealing with pop quizzes, putting out the weekly newspaper, and the occasional idiot monster who thought he could threaten them. In a lot of ways things were back to normal.

In others…

He heard a twig snap and knew it had to be 'her.' Ever since the battle with Akuha the two of them had developed an odd empathic connection. Perhaps it was the blood they shared but they could sense each other now and even know how the other was feeling. He looked down at his wrist at the holy lock that kept the power of a ghoul sealed. It was another proof of the connection between them. Knowing she was there he didn't turn around but instead waited for her to yell at him about skipping out on the newspaper club. He waited but several minutes passed before she finally spoke. When she did it was not to yell at him as he expected.

"Why are you avoiding me Tsukune?" She asked quietly.

Now he finally turned around to look at her. She was standing several feet behind him dressed in her school uniform with her back straight and her arms to her sides. As was her habit she was looking directly at him. Her silver hair was shining in the afternoon light and her blood red eyes held a curious patience in them. Round her neck the familiar black choker was gone as was her rosario. They had originally gone to China on a mission to have the seal restored, instead the rosario and the seal had been lost. And with them the other Moka.

"What are you talking about Moka? I haven't been avoiding you." He answered weakly.

"You have barely said two words to me since our return. You refuse to eat with me no matter how I invite you. You do all that you can to avoid me." She slowly began top approach him. "You thought I was beautiful once, have I grown hideous to you?"

"What? Of course not! You're absolutely gorgeous. It's just you're…" He paused fearing her reaction if he said any more.

"It's just that I am not the other one, the gentle kind Moka you fell in love with." She halted right in front of him her face a mask of calm and her voice surprisingly tranquil.

He was the one who looked away. She was right that he'd been avoiding her. "What does it matter?" He mumbled. "She was never real was she? She was just a construct made for the rosario. So what does it matter if I miss her?"

"I miss her too."

That made him look back up at her. "You do?"

"Why does that surprise you?" Moka asked sounding just a bit irritated. "I knew her longer than you did and in a way we were closer than even sisters, of course I miss her."

"But she wasn't real," Tsukune said. "She was just created to protect you as you slept."

"I know that now," Moka answered. "I have recovered all of my memories and I know she was a creation of my mother's magic."

"Then why would you miss her when she was never real?"

"She was real enough. She may not have been born as you and I were but that is not the same as not being a real person. She was a young child when I first knew her. I watched as she struggled and suffered and laughed and cried. She _felt _Tsukune, she thought, and she grew from all of her experiences good and bad. Even if she is gone now she lives on in our memories. Everything she did, everything she said, all of it was real." Moka paused and he could sense an upsurge in emotion from her. "Like her love for you. It was all real, don't think otherwise just because she was 'born' in a manner different from you or I. Never think that what you felt for her and what she felt for you was any less real or important just because of that."

"Do you really believe that?" Tsukune asked hopefully.

"I do. Just…" For one of the few times this Moka hesitated. "Just… can't you find room in your heart for me too? Was your love only for her? Can you not stand me any more? Have I become nothing but a painful reminder to you of the one you truly love?"

"Moka…"

"I love you, you know," she told him suddenly. "I love you as desperately and as completely as Mizore or Kurumu or my other self ever did."

"You do?" He couldn't keep from sounding surprised. "You've never really shown it the way the other girls have."

"Does that mean my feelings for you would appear more significant if I were to shove your face into my breasts or kidnap you or hug you constantly?"

"Well, no," he replied carefully. "But it would be nice if you would occasionally do things that showed you felt that way about me."

"I gave you my blood Tsukune, and nothing is more precious to a vampire. I stole Belmont so I could enjoy one single day of freedom without endangering the seal. I had one day to do anything I wanted, and what I wanted was to spend it shopping with you. Even the long hours I spent training you to fight. Do you think I would do that for anyone but you?"

He could sense the emotions inside of her. He could see her face blushing and even smell worry in her scent. He knew how proud and strong she was and that admitting her feelings like this had to be hard for her.

"I'm sorry Moka-san, I guess I've been selfish haven't I?" Slowly and oh so carefully he placed a hand on her cheek. She did not push his hand away or offer any objection. Instead her face only blushed an even deeper color. "I admit it's been hard and I've been hurting, but I didn't have any right to make you feel like that. Please forgive me."

Without any warning she moved catching him by surprise.

He felt her soft warm lips touching his. His eyes widened and he was overwhelmed by the sensation. Her kiss electrified him and left him unable to move or think.

Then as quickly as it had happened it was over.

"There, do my feelings seem more real to you now?" She asked him in a voice that was just a little breathy and unsteady.

"Moka-san," he whispered and reached out to take her into his arms.

She swiftly moved back out of his reach and started walking away heading towards the school. "Let's go Tsukune, we have to work on this week's edition. If we're not there Kurumu will turn the whole thing into a scandal rag."

"Ri… right," he said sounding confused by her sudden mood change. He hurried up to follow her and wondered how she would take it if he were to ask her out.

Walking away with her back to him he couldn't see the small smile or the look of happiness that was on her face.


End file.
